Heather M. Cooper
Powhatan,VA
Summary
Nurse Leader with over 20 years of successful experience in healthcare. Recognized consistently for performance excellence and contributions to success in quality patient experience and team member engagement. Strengths in quality and safety backed by training in performance improvement. Values and leadership skills perfect for Highly Reliable Organizations.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Chief, Perioperative Nursing
Central Virginia VA Health Care System - 40 Hrs/wk
01.2024 - Current
- Nurse IV, Step 11
- Established structure and processes for Cardiothoracic Surgery QAPI Committee rooted in evaluation of quality metrics and HRO principles in collaboration with surgical leadership.
- Established pathways to evaluate over-labeling of surgical custom bundles.
- Developed group of SMEs to evaluate alternative vendors for surgical bundles based on financial metrics and product quality.
- Co-developed processes for tracking potential contamination of surgical instruments in collaboration with SPS, Surgical Services leadership, and Chief of Staff to allow for trending and early identification of SPS issues.
- Completed SOP Standing order for Seasonal Influenza Vaccine in collaboration with pharmacy and Chief of Staff to allow for nursing to vaccinate hundreds of veterans by standing order after it was identified there was no policy to cover
- Facilitated establishment of processes that ensures Veterans have discharge appointment scheduled at time of discharge reducing readmissions and ensuring return to VA facilities.
- Increased direct care capacity by removing barriers and coaching of Nurse Managers under my leadership (SICU 3beds, 2F- 1 bed, pending 3 exam rooms in Surgical Specialty Clinic)
- Daily coaching of nursing leaders in HRO principles, waste reduction, and fiscal responsibility.
- Chair of Experience of Care Committee, currently implementing strategies to increase scores and overall response rate of SHEP / V-Signals including strategies that reduce waste and impact overall VA culture.
Acting Chief, Perioperative Nursing
Central Virginia VA Health Care System - 40 Hrs/wk
07.2023 - 01.2024
- Nurse III, Step 12
- Oversight of full spectrum of perioperative nursing services including outpatient, pre/post/intra operative services, acute and critical care, and endoscopy services.
- Provide executive guidance to skilled nursing leaders in survey readiness, SAIL performance measures, change theory, team dynamics, and team development.
Nurse Manager, Surgical ICU
Central Virginia VA Health Care System - 40 Hrs/wk
04.2021 - 06.2023
- Nurse III, Step 12
- Improved Unit All Employee Survey results in 49 areas including significant increases in Best Places to Work, Overall Satisfaction, Percent Engaged, Servant Leader Index, Workgroup Collaboration, and Transparency.
- Reduction in CAUTI and VAE rates to 0 for over 1 year.
- Improved quality bundle metrics related to CLABSI reduction including significant improvements in hand hygiene compliance from 60% to greater than 90%.
- Proposed plan to halt development of Surgical Stepdown unit due to low census, saving VAMC $1.9 Million in staffing costs.
- Led efforts to re-allocate personnel resources from Stepdown Unit to area of best fit for the RN.
- Successfully re-established Shared Governance Committee and a solid leadership team.
- Successfully established unit based succession planning, Daily HRO huddles, and Physician and Nurse Collaborative Committee.
- Served as Inaugural Chair of Nurse Manager Committee
Nurse Manager
VCU Health System - 40 Hrs/week
10.2015 - 04.2021
- Acute, Progressive, and Intensive Care Medicine
- Planned and activated the addition of 8 progressive care beds to acute care, conversion of acute/progressive care unit to a 28 bed Intensive Care Unit / Progressive Care unit, and the re-allocation of 26 acute care beds.
- Led multiple areas through successful Joint Commission and CMS surveys.
- Effectively maintained low staffing vacancy rate through forecasting and professional development planning.
- Reduced incremental overtime by implementing staff led policies to promote efficiency and on-time departures and maximization of NHPPD.
- Optimized capacity and throughput with reduced length of stay from a high of 9.0 days to a low of 5.4 and an increase in discharges by noon from a low of 5% to a high of 31%
- Development of Nurse Manager Satisfaction work group yielding multiple improvements in satisfaction of managers related to work-life balance, on call staffing processes and collaborative peer relationships
- Achieved RN Engagement results higher than National Nursing Excellence Average and higher than VCU average (2017 and 2019).
Adjunct Faculty
VCU School Of Interprofessional Education-10 Hr/wk
08.2016 - 12.2019
- Provide instructional guidance to students of various health care programs in preparation for a career of interprofessional collaboration
- Engaged over 100 students with insightful and compelling classroom discussion of topics relevant to coursework to boost student learning and retention.
Adjunct Faculty
VCU School Of Nursing-10 Hr/wk
05.2014 - 12.2019
- Provide instructional guidance and unit-based project oversight to students during the practicum portion of the undergraduate Nursing Administration and Leadership course
- Worked closely with lead instructor to develop and implement Nursing Leadership and Administration curriculum for improved learning and student performance.
Performance Improvement Coordinator
VCUHS - 40 Hrs/wk
07.2014 - 10.2015
- Provide leadership, facilitation, coordination, and education for performance improvement activities including project design, data collection and analysis, development and implementation of action plans, and documentation of outcomes
- Successfully led clinicians through a structured Lean Six Sigma - DMAIC project resulting in increased team member use and documentation of Teach Back for patient education, a validated method for patient education
- Earned VCUHS $144,000 in Anthem Q-HIP reimbursement dollars as a result of submission of current implementation of Teach Back for discharge education and plans for spread through out the organization
- Successful restructure of an executive council appointed committee identified as needing facilitation to re-establish leadership, increase provider membership, and determine outcome-based goals
- Facilitation with organizational leadership to complete an analysis of a serious safety event, identification of a root cause, development of an action plan, and measurement of completion of action items.
- Facilitator for quality oversight surveys working directly with Joint Commission and CMS surveyors as a member of the command center operations.
Clinical Nurse IV
VCU Health System - 40 Hrs/wk
05.2007 - 07.2014
- Structured and implemented a unit based shared governance group that led to increased staff satisfaction, streamlined process for maintaining unit compliance with regulatory agencies, and continues to impact nursing quality indicators
- Coordinated and motivated team members in the implementation of practice changes that reorganized workflow and significantly impacted patient falls, patient falls with injuries, nurse to nurse hand off, the implementation of multiple best practices, and conservation of resources
- Mentored interdisciplinary team members by serving as a clinical leader and resource in the areas of clinical skills, information technology, and compliance with organizational policies, and regulatory protocols.
Interim Clinical Coordinator
VCU Health - 40 Hrs/wk
10.2013 - 12.2013
- ICU
- Supervise and coordinate team members to provide patient care during each assigned shift, adjusting for patient acuity, staff skill mix, and regulatory requirements
- Organize unit-based activities to ensure timely and safe throughput of patients within organization including facilitation of inter-unit transfers, coordination of diagnostic tests, and communication with medical staff
- Serve as unit resource for critical nursing skills, electronic and paper documentation, information technology, organizational policies, communication and effective conflict resolution with patients, families, and team members.
Education
Master of Science - Nursing Administration And Leadership
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA12.2013
Bachelor of Science Nursing -
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA05.2007
Skills
- HRO Values
- Relationship development
- Team Management
- Recruitment and Hiring
- Quality assurance
- Conflict resolution
- Strategic Planning
- Financial management
- Process improvement
- Staff Forecasting
Accomplishments
- Chair, Experience of Care Committee, VAMC, 2023 - Present
- Co-Chair, Cardiothoracic Surgery QAPI Committee, VAMC 2024 - Present
- Inaugural Chair Nurse Manager Committee, VAMC 2023- 2024
- Chair, Nurse Manager Satisfaction Committee, VCU Health 2017 – April 2021
- Chair, Staff QAPI Chair VCU Health 2019 – 2020
- Winner, 2018 Forty Under Forty, Virginia Nurses Foundation
- Co-Chair, Nurse Manager Council, VCU Health 2017- 2018
Affiliations
American Nurses Association
Virginia Nurses Association
American Association of Critical Care Nurses
Certification
Certified Critical Care Registered Nurse, CCRN-k
Timeline
Chief, Perioperative Nursing
Central Virginia VA Health Care System - 40 Hrs/wk
01.2024 - Current
Acting Chief, Perioperative Nursing
Central Virginia VA Health Care System - 40 Hrs/wk
07.2023 - 01.2024
Nurse Manager, Surgical ICU
Central Virginia VA Health Care System - 40 Hrs/wk
04.2021 - 06.2023
Adjunct Faculty
VCU School Of Interprofessional Education-10 Hr/wk
08.2016 - 12.2019
Nurse Manager
VCU Health System - 40 Hrs/week
10.2015 - 04.2021
Performance Improvement Coordinator
VCUHS - 40 Hrs/wk
07.2014 - 10.2015
Adjunct Faculty
VCU School Of Nursing-10 Hr/wk
05.2014 - 12.2019
Interim Clinical Coordinator
VCU Health - 40 Hrs/wk
10.2013 - 12.2013
Clinical Nurse IV
VCU Health System - 40 Hrs/wk
05.2007 - 07.2014
Master of Science - Nursing Administration And Leadership
Virginia Commonwealth University
Bachelor of Science Nursing -
Virginia Commonwealth University
Certified Critical Care Registered Nurse, CCRN-k
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